Support Your Kitten's Health with Berkeley Kitten Care

Congratulations on the decision to welcome a new kitten into your home! Kittens are fun, playful creatures that grow into wonderful, long-term companions for individuals of all ages. Our Berkeley kitten veterinarian is committed to helping your kitten live a long, healthy life. This commitment to high quality wellness care includes pet vaccinations, dietary management, and spay/neuter surgery. Our Berkeley kitten care program will help your kitten grow into a healthy, active cat.

Berkeley Veterinarian for Kittens: Keep Your Pet Healthy

Scheduling a wellness appointment is the first important step towards helping your cat live a long, healthy life. During this appointment, our kitten veterinarian will perform a full physical, assess your kitten’s developmental progress, and deworm your kitten. As part of this check-up, we will also discuss at-home care, dietary management, and heartworm and flea/tick prevention. This is your opportunity to ask any questions you may have about kitten care.

Vaccinations are a critical part of our kitten care program. Young cats are susceptible to a variety of different illnesses, including distemper and upper respiratory tract infections. Since young cats have a weak, developing immune system, a series of vaccinations is necessary to protect your kitten from these illnesses until your kitten’s immune system has fully matured.

The kitten vaccination series is a series of shot administered every three to four weeks. The shot series typically begins after your kitten is weaned (8 to 10 weeks of age) and should continue until your kitten’s immune system is fully matured at 18 to 20 weeks of age. We administer the shot series using the combined FVRCCP (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Chlamydia and Panleukopenia) vaccine. While cats are not required to be vaccinated against rabies, we strongly recommend this vaccine. Depending on your kitten’s lifestyle or wellness needs (e.g., if your kitten is an outdoor cat), we may make additional vaccination recommendations. Once the shot series is complete, you kitten will only need additional booster shots every one to three years, per the vaccine manufacturer’s guidelines.

Dietary management is important for new kittens. In the wild, cats naturally thrive off a high protein diet. However, not all commercial pet foods provide the optimal balance of protein, vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates/fat. Our kitten veterinarian is happy to make specific recommendations for commercial dietary food that is formulated to meet your growing kitten’s health needs.
Our veterinarian for kittens strongly recommends spaying or neutering before adulthood. Spaying and neutering cats helps to reduce the unwanted animal population while also decreasing a cat’s risk for certain illnesses. Neutering male cats helps control unwanted behavior, such as indoor spraying.

Our kitten veterinarian in Berkeley provides kitten wellness care to help your cat live a long, healthy life. Our veterinarian for kittens is always happy to answer any questions you may have about kitten care, including vaccinations and spay/neuter procedures.

To learn more about kitten care or to schedule your kitten’s first appointment, contact University Veterinary Hospital at 510-841-4412.